Obsession due to lack of options

I've been obsessed with 15th century headdresses lately. I think it's because, as I get more and more pregnant, it's easier for me to do research on them, and sit and create them than it is to do my other SCA passion- illumination. In fact, I've had to pack my light table away while we prepare the house for the baby, as it had been set up in what is now the nursery. Headdresses don't require quite as much leaning over, which has become difficult.

I've been so obsessed, in fact, that I've scheduled myself to teach a class on 15th century women's headdess at Push for Pennsic this month. It will be a two part class (separated by lunch) that will cover four popular styles of the 15th century, complete with the physical examples I am personally creating.

I've been working on the most difficult of the four headdress- the heart-shaped headdress, which I was inspired to start creating after viewing this. I decided to try using a combination of fiberfill, wire and fabric, rather than try to find straw hats like hers. I got a good start, but our new dog decided that the styrofoam head looked like a good thing to chew on, and the structural instability of what I had done thus far made me rethink my process.


I decided to switch my thinking to producing a later 15th century hennin (truncated). I had some difficulty figuring out how to accomplish the lappet, or brim, but I found a random forum entry (4th entry down) that helped me figure it out. It may not be the period way of doing it, but it achieves the same look.

I'll also be creating a version of the horn & veil headdress and the lowerclass turban for the class. If you'll be at Push this year, look for my class on the schedule: "Creating and Wearing 15th Century Headdress for Women".